This “Blog” will discuss various techniques (from my own “point of view”), training methodologies, and applications used and taught by myself in the art of “Te”. It will often focus upon the instructed art of “Tuite”, as taught to me by Taika Seiyu Oyata.

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Monday, September 3, 2012

The “Safety Dance”

Anyone who has read this
blog, is familiar with my opinions regarding the practice of
“sparring” (as it's commonly performed). I don't care for
(and criticize the practice of it,...regularly), that practice
of 2 (or more) individual's donning protective equipment, and
proceeding to wail upon one another until (some arbitrary
number of) sufficient “points” are sufficiently
accumulated to declare a “winner” (between those participants).

I'm not going to (again)
bitch about that manner
of sparring (right
now). I am going to
(once again) describe the manner of (protectively geared) interchange
that I do endorse, and
utilize (between my students).

What Taika (originally)
utilized for Bogu (sparring), were (sometimes) modified kendo
headgear, with chest and foot protection. Hand coverings, were the
fingered
“Kung-Fu”(type of) gloves (which allowed for grappling).
There are now various manufacturers of fully-protective head gear
(including clear plastic vision panels, reminiscent of a motorcycle
helmet, LOL).

For our
purposes, we only utilize the “bag-gloves”
(light weight gloves that protect the hand from being cut upon the
hard-plastic of the headgear visors). We only have the individual who
may be subject to being struck (with full power) wear the appropriate
protective gear (the other participant,
having no obvious need
for it).

These training sessions
are very one-sided
affairs. This is done purposefully
to promote the training
aspect of the exercise (in lieu of being perceived as a competition).

We have students face one
another with the standard arm's length distance between them. For
beginning students (lower kyu-ranked), we will have them focus on
performing strikes to the uke/aggressor's arm
(when the uke punches at their head/face). For this practice, the uke
wears padding upon the length of their arm, the tori wears the
headgear. Strikes are performed full speed, full power (by both
participants).

Even with
the use of protective equipment, the methods being practiced must be
mixed (allowing the
struck areas in each exercise time
to recuperate).

The types of techniques
which this manner of practice allows for (though substantial) only
constitutes about 40% of the instructed (technique) material. Tuite
accounts for another 40%, with the remaining amount being kicks,
throwsand submissions (none of which, the use of
protective gear would prove to be of any
added benefit).

Practice done in this
manner, allows for the student to see/feel (some of) the differences
between full-power/speed,
and practice speed.
Their own inadequacy's will become clearer (to the student) when they
have participated in these exercises (and hopefully without
completely discouraging them).

Each of the different
attack methods will appear unique to the student (after time).
Learning to recognize those methods will allow the student to respond
and modify their defense as necessary to each (both during, and when not in "class").

By applying the learned
techniques at full-speed and power, students can recognize what those
attack methods look like when they are being used against them. As
with any other learned motions and techniques, repeated practice will
create ability.

We emphasize none of the
BS hype associated
to/with the common sparring methodologies (such as), “learning to
take a punch” (there
is no such thing). If
you want to gain endurance,
run 10 miles a day.

If you want to be
stronger, join a gym (with a trainer) and learn to
(properly) work with weights. These things are not the skills
one should be participating in a martial arts class for.

A martial art's class
teaches one to recognize the signs of an impending assault. Though
not (generally) considered to be the primary focus of one's training,
recognizing those telegraphed motions is what will make the student
able to respond when they are actually used in an attempted assault.

Too often students will
assume that by practicing (only) with one another, they will acquire
the ability to respond to any attempted assault perpetrated against
them. The fact is, that they will never be able to practice
against any (type of) attempted assault made upon them (What occurs in real life, will never be like what was practiced in class).

The most that one can
hope for, is to learn to recognize if/when an attempted assault is
about to occur. This (obviously) can't always happen, but from
practicing the most common manners of attack that do occur, we can
hopefully learn to recognize them and respond effectively.

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These Ideas/methods originated (and were taught to myself) from Taika Seiyu Oyata. That study began with my 34 years of study with him until his death in 2012. What I present and discuss here, are my own understandings and (should) in no way reflect upon,discredit or dispute the teachings of any other instructors within that methodology. This blog is often biased in it's opinion of various practices being taught in the martial art's spectrum. If you disagree with the opinions stated here, then voice your disagreement/debate through your comments. Despite what may be thought, I am willing to change my opinion. You may not be able to do so, but I'm willing to debate any opinion that I may state on this blog.

Links of Interest

The 6 Basic Principles of Tuite

Tuite Principles Book

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Note* If you have been wondering what motivates me to write so negatively about the TCM moron's and anyone of similar ilk, then please read the following (I found it on Wikipedia, and felt it to be apropos).

The Dunning–Kruger effect.

"The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which unskilled people make poor decisions and reach erroneous conclusions, but their incompetence denies them the meta cognitive ability to recognize their mistakes”.

“The unskilled therefore suffer from illusory superiority, rating their ability as above average, much higher than it actually is, while the highly skilled underrate their own abilities, suffering from illusory inferiority."